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150-608: Patty Murray became the first female Chair of the DSCC in 2001. Her team raised more than $ 143 million, beating the previous record by $ 40 million. However, the Democratic Party lost two seats in the subsequent election which saw President George W. Bush become the first sitting president to take control of the Senate in a midterm election since 1914. This result may be attributed to George W. Bush 's post- 9/11 popularity and

300-505: A Fordham Law Review article with inadequate citations. He was required to repeat the course and passed with high marks. At Biden's request the Delaware Supreme Court's Board of Professional Responsibility reviewed the incident and concluded that he had violated no rules. Biden has made several false or exaggerated claims about his early life: that he had earned three degrees in college, that he attended law school on

450-443: A Catholic family of mostly Irish descent, along with English and French; he has a sister, Valerie , and two brothers, Francis and James . The Biden surname traces back to William Biden, an ancestor of his who emigrated from England to Maryland around 1820. Biden's father had been wealthy and the family purchased a home in the affluent Long Island suburb of Garden City in the fall of 1946, but he suffered business setbacks around

600-496: A University of Oklahoma law school professor, had accused Thomas of making unwelcome sexual comments when they had worked together. Biden had known of some of these charges, but initially shared them only with the committee because Hill was then unwilling to testify. The committee hearing was reopened and Hill testified, but Biden did not permit testimony from other witnesses, such as a woman who had made similar charges and experts on harassment. The full Senate confirmed Thomas by

750-487: A public defender and then at a law firm headed by a locally active Democrat, who named him to the Democratic Forum, a group trying to reform and revitalize the state party; Biden subsequently reregistered as a Democrat. He and another attorney also formed a law firm. Corporate law did not appeal to him, and criminal law did not pay well. He supplemented his income by managing properties. Biden ran for

900-685: A seminar on constitutional law at Widener University School of Law . He sometimes flew back from overseas to teach the class. Secretary of the Senate Francis R. Valeo swore Biden in at the Delaware Division of the Wilmington Medical Center in January 1973. Present were his sons Beau (whose leg was still in traction from the automobile accident) and Hunter and other family members. At age 30, he

1050-521: A "mistake", but did not push for withdrawal. He supported the appropriations for the occupation, but argued that the war should be internationalized, that more soldiers were needed, and that the Bush administration should "level with the American people" about its cost and length. By late 2006, Biden's stance had shifted considerably. He opposed the troop surge of 2007 , saying General David Petraeus

1200-399: A 1976 passage by Hubert Humphrey . Biden responded that politicians often borrow from one another without giving credit, and that one of his rivals for the nomination, Jesse Jackson , had called him to point out that he (Jackson) had used the same material by Humphrey that Biden had used. A few days later, an incident was publicized in which, while in law school, Biden had taken text from

1350-410: A 51–49 majority after the elections. Senator Gary Peters of Michigan was selected as DSCC chair for a second consecutive cycle, the first since Chuck Schumer to be so. The Class 1 cycle of Democratic senators continue to dwindle, with Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana being the last of the 2012 vulnerable class, and with it adding Sherrod Brown of Ohio as another Senator from

1500-814: A 52–48 vote, with Biden opposed. Liberal legal advocates and women's groups felt strongly that Biden had mishandled the hearings and not done enough to support Hill. In 2019, he told Hill he regretted his treatment of her, but Hill said afterward she remained unsatisfied. Biden was a longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee . He became its ranking minority member in 1997 and chaired it from June 2001 to 2003 and 2007 to 2009. His positions were generally liberal internationalist . He collaborated effectively with Republicans and sometimes went against elements of his own party. During this time he met with at least 150 leaders from 60 countries and international organizations, becoming

1650-422: A Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in history and political science in 1965. Biden had a stutter and has mitigated it since his early twenties. He has described his efforts to reduce it by reciting poetry before a mirror. Biden married Neilia Hunter , a student at Syracuse University , on August 27, 1966, after overcoming her parents' disinclination for her to wed a Catholic. Their wedding

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1800-486: A December 6 run-off election. Incumbent Virginia Democrat Mark Warner was declared the winner of his race by a narrow margin over Republican Ed Gillespie on November 7, and Alaska Republican Dan Sullivan was declared the winner against Democratic incumbent Mark Begich a week later, on November 12. Republican Bill Cassidy defeated incumbent Democrat Mary Landrieu in the Louisiana runoff on December 6. Days after

1950-727: A Democratic floor manager for the successful passage of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act in 1984. His supporters praised him for modifying some of the law's worst provisions, and it was his most important legislative accomplishment to that time. In 1994, Biden helped pass the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act , which included a ban on assault weapons , and the Violence Against Women Act , which he has called his most significant legislation. The 1994 crime law

2100-469: A Democratic vice president, and the two seats in Georgia went to runoffs because no candidate received a majority of the vote in either election. The runoffs were held on January 5, 2021. Democrats flipped both seats, allowing them to take control of the Senate, since Vice President Kamala Harris would cast the tie-breaking vote. After the 2020-2021 cycle, Democrats governed with a bare 50–50 majority in

2250-725: A campaign for the United States Senate in 1992 . She has been re-elected five times, most recently in 2022 . As a senator, Murray has been a part of party leadership since 2001, having served as chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee , Democratic Conference secretary , and assistant Democratic leader. She currently chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee . Before assuming her current roles, Murray has previously chaired at various times,

2400-561: A candidate in the general election in California because both women were Democrats competing for the seat of retiring Senator Barbara Boxer . Kamala Harris beat Loretta Sanchez for the seat. First-term Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland chaired the DSCC for the 2017–2018 election cycle. Before the 2018 elections , Democrats held 49 seats in the U.S. Senate while Republicans held 51. The unusually imbalanced 2018 Senate map, created by successful 2006 and 2012 elections, resulted in

2550-694: A class of 85 students. He was admitted to the Delaware bar in 1969. Biden clerked at a Wilmington law firm headed by prominent local Republican William Prickett in 1968 and, he later said, "thought of myself as a Republican". He disliked incumbent Democratic Delaware governor Charles L. Terry 's conservative racial politics and supported a more liberal Republican, Russell W. Peterson , who defeated Terry in 1968. Local Republicans attempted to recruit Biden, but he registered as an Independent because of his distaste for Republican presidential candidate Richard Nixon . In 1969, Biden practiced law, first as

2700-580: A cold day in hell" before another independent counsel would be granted similar powers. He voted to acquit during the impeachment of President Clinton . During the 2000s, Biden sponsored bankruptcy legislation sought by credit card issuers. Clinton vetoed the bill in 2000, but it passed in 2005 as the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act , with Biden being one of only 18 Democrats to vote for it, while leading Democrats and consumer rights organizations opposed it. As

2850-729: A compromise agreement on a two-year, bipartisan budget bill, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 . The deal was scheduled to be voted on first in the House and then the Senate. Some believed House Democrats would pass the deal as a way to reduce the sequester cuts, but the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee , Chris Van Hollen , said on December 12, 2013, that members of his party were outraged that House Republicans are planning to adjourn without addressing unemployment benefits. Van Hollen said that "it

3000-504: A death spiral for those with opioid use disorders" due to the insurance coverage lacking adequate funds for care, often causing people to abandon treatment. In August 2013, Murray was one of 23 Democratic senators to sign a letter to the Defense Department, warning of some payday lenders "offering predatory loan products to service members at exorbitant triple digit effective interest rates and loan products that do not include

3150-506: A decision that will damage our national security and aggravate conditions inside Central America", asserting that Trump had "consistently expressed a flawed understanding of U.S. foreign assistance" since becoming president, and that he was "personally undermining efforts to promote U.S. national security and economic prosperity" through preventing the use of Fiscal Year 2018 national security funding. The senators argued that foreign assistance to Central American countries created less migration to

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3300-542: A degree in physical education . She worked as a pre-school teacher and, later, as a parenting teacher at Shoreline Community College . A long-time advocate for environmental and education issues, Murray was elected to serve on her local school board in King County . She ran for the Washington State Senate in 1988, and defeated two-term incumbent Bill Kiskaddon . She served one term before launching

3450-476: A full scholarship, that he had graduated in the top half of his class, and that he had marched in the civil rights movement . The limited amount of other news about the presidential race amplified these disclosures and on September 23, 1987, Biden withdrew his candidacy, saying it had been overrun by "the exaggerated shadow" of his past mistakes. After exploring the possibility of a run in several previous cycles, in January 2007, Biden declared his candidacy in

3600-444: A large number of vulnerable Democrats. Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Jon Tester of Montana and Bill Nelson of Florida were seen as the most vulnerable. On November 6, incumbent Democrats in four states were unseated; Donnelly was unseated by State Rep. Mike Braun , McCaskill was defeated by Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley , Heitkamp

3750-489: A letter requesting that the IG investigate USDA instances of retaliation and political decision-making and asserting that not to do so would mean these "actions could be perceived as a part of this administration’s broader pattern of not only discounting the value of federal employees, but suppressing, undermining, discounting, and wholesale ignoring scientific data produced by their own qualified scientists". In October 2017, Murray

3900-835: A much larger margin this cycle. Popular former Governor John Hickenlooper was the Democratic nominee. In Maine, popular incumbent Susan Collins had won by a landslide in 2014, but was seen as weakened by her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and her vote to acquit Trump during his first impeachment trial. This was seen as the third most likely flip for the Democrats, after Arizona. Republicans needed to defend seats in key swing states such as Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Iowa. Seats in South Carolina, Kansas, Montana, and Alaska became surprisingly competitive, compared to their usual Republican lean. Arizona

4050-795: A now-Republican-tilted state. With Manchin retiring, the West Virginia seat was written off, putting focus on Jacky Rosen in Nevada, Bob Casey Jr. in Pennsylvania, Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin, newcomers Ruben Gallego in Arizona and Elissa Slotkin in Michigan; all these were hotly contested swing states in 2020. The entry of Larry Hogan into Maryland's race was an unexpected turn that is expected to siphon funds from tougher fights. On

4200-571: A parenting class at Shoreline Community College from 1984 to 1987. As a citizen- lobbyist for environmental and educational issues, Murray has said that a state representative once told her she could not make a difference because she was just a "mom in tennis shoes". The phrase stuck, and she later used it in her successful campaigns for the Shoreline School District board of directors (1985–89), Washington State Senate (1989–93), and United States Senate (1993–present). Murray

4350-517: A point of not resigning from the Senate before he was sworn in for his seventh term in January 2009. He cast his last Senate vote on January 15, supporting the release of the second $ 350   billion for the Troubled Asset Relief Program , and resigned from the Senate later that day, after which Ted Kaufman took office as his successor. In October 2010, Biden said Obama had asked him to remain as his running mate for

4500-479: A proposed constitutional amendment banning busing entirely. Biden supported a 1976 measure forbidding the use of federal funds for transporting students beyond the school closest to them. He co-sponsored a 1977 amendment closing loopholes in that measure, which President Carter signed into law in 1978. Biden became ranking minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1981. He was

4650-492: A safe workplace if OSHA does not enforce workers rights to a hazard-free workplace". In response to a February 2021 report by the Congressional Budget Office on the effects of a minimum wage increase, Murray said: "Today's report makes clear what we've known all along: raising the minimum wage — which hasn't increased since 2009 — to $ 15 an hour isn't just the right thing to do, it's good policy." She

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4800-462: A senator, Biden strongly supported increased Amtrak funding and rail security. In February 1988, after several episodes of increasingly severe neck pain, Biden underwent surgery to correct a leaking intracranial berry aneurysm . While recuperating, he suffered a pulmonary embolism , a serious complication. After a second aneurysm was surgically repaired in May, his recuperation kept him away from

4950-688: A sixth term over Republican Tiffany Smiley . Murray's committee assignments for the 118th Congress are as follows: On February 28, 2013, Murray introduced the Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act into the Senate. The bill would prevent the United States Forest Service from removing a building from the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area in the state of Washington unless the agency determines that

5100-625: A spokeswoman, Murray declined to comment further on the incident. Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. ( / ˈ r ɒ b ɪ n ɪ t ˈ b aɪ d ən / ROB -in-it BY -dən ; born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who has been the 46th and current president of the United States since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party , he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 under President Barack Obama and represented Delaware in

5250-638: A successful used-car salesman , maintaining the family in a middle-class lifestyle. At Archmere Academy in Claymont, Biden played baseball and was a standout halfback and wide receiver on the high school football team. Though a poor student, he was class president in his junior and senior years. He graduated in 1961. At the University of Delaware in Newark , Biden briefly played freshman football, and, as an unexceptional student, received

5400-449: A time when most draftees were sent to the war. Based on a physical examination, he was given a conditional medical deferment in 1968; in 2008, a spokesperson for Biden said his having had " asthma as a teenager" was the reason for the deferment. Biden defeated Republican incumbent J. Caleb Boggs to become the junior U.S. senator from Delaware in 1972. He was the only Democrat willing to challenge Boggs and, with minimal campaign funds, he

5550-656: A well-known Democratic voice on foreign policy. Biden voted against authorization for the Gulf War in 1991, siding with 45 of the 55 Democratic senators. He said the U.S. was bearing almost all the burden in the anti-Iraq coalition . Biden became interested in the Yugoslav Wars after hearing about Serbian abuses during the Croatian War of Independence in 1991. Once the Bosnian War broke out, Biden

5700-544: A wide margin. Chandler seemed to have the upper hand in one of the debates until he responded to Murray's criticism for spending $ 120,000 on congressional mailings during rising unemployment and declining family income as part of an economic recession by quoting the Roger Miller song " Dang Me ". Chandler was further damaged by the unpopularity in the Pacific Northwest of President George H. W. Bush , who

5850-476: Is Biden gonna say something stupid?", he asked. Obama campaign staffers called Biden's blunders "Joe bombs" and kept Biden uninformed about strategy discussions, which in turn irked Biden. Relations between the two campaigns became strained for a month, until Biden apologized on a call to Obama and the two built a stronger partnership. As the 2007–2008 financial crisis reached a peak in September 2008, and

6000-537: Is reeling, our budget is in deficit, and we have no estimate of the cost of rebuilding. And with whom? As The New York Times columnist Tom Friedman points out, there's a retail store mentality that suggests to some—if "you break it, you buy it." In December 2002, speaking to students at Columbia River High School in Vancouver , Murray made a number of remarks about Osama bin Laden as she attempted to explain why

6150-426: Is the first woman to hold the position. As president pro tempore of the Senate, she is currently third in the United States presidential line of succession. Murray is also the current chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee . Murray is the first woman, and 33rd senator overall, to have cast 10,000 votes in the Senate, having reached the threshold on April 20, 2023. In 1992, Murray announced her candidacy for

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6300-497: Is too early to say" whether a majority of House Democrats would vote for the budget bill. The deal was also unpopular with many conservatives. Murray put the controversial intelligence ports-data project Global Trade Exchange into the Homeland Security budget. In April 2019, Murray was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to President Trump, encouraging him "to listen to members of your own Administration and reverse

6450-549: The 2008 Democratic presidential primaries . One month later, the Washington Democratic caucus awarded two-thirds of its delegates to Barack Obama and one-third to Clinton. After Clinton's June 7 concession, Murray endorsed Obama. On May 28, 2021, Murray abstained from voting on the creation of the January 6 commission . She cited a "personal family matter" for the abstention. Murray had expressed support for

6600-421: The 2012 presidential election , but with Obama's popularity on the decline, White House Chief of Staff William M. Daley conducted some secret polling and focus group research in late 2011 on the idea of replacing Biden on the ticket with Hillary Clinton. The notion was dropped when the results showed no appreciable improvement for Obama, and White House officials later said Obama himself had never entertained

6750-610: The 2014 Oso mudslide . The bill passed both the House and the Senate. Murray supports abortion rights. She opposed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act , a bill criminalizing abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, saying on the Senate floor: "I oppose the fact that we are still voting on whether women and doctors are best equipped to make health care decisions — or politicians here in D. C." She also voted against restricting US funding for UN family planning programs. In March 2019, Murray

6900-649: The 2020 presidential election , the Democratic Party nominated Biden for president. He selected Kamala Harris as his running mate, and they defeated Republican incumbents Donald Trump and Mike Pence . He became the oldest president in U.S. history and the first to serve with a female vice president. As president, Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent recession . He signed bipartisan bills on infrastructure and manufacturing . He proposed

7050-687: The Build Back Better Act , which failed in Congress, but aspects of which were incorporated into the Inflation Reduction Act that he signed into law in 2022. Biden appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court . He worked with congressional Republicans to resolve the 2023 debt-ceiling crisis by negotiating a deal to raise the debt ceiling . In his foreign policy , Biden restored America's membership in

7200-502: The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 (S. 2611). The bill includes provisions to improve border security, increases fines and other punishments for employers of illegal immigrants , and creates a guest worker program (which includes an almost doubling of the number of H-1B visas ) and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country. The bill, with support from some in

7350-590: The Defense of Marriage Act , which prohibited the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, thereby barring individuals in such marriages from equal protection under federal law and allowing states to do the same. In 2015, the act was ruled unconstitutional in Obergefell ;v. Hodges . Biden was critical of Independent Counsel Ken Starr during the 1990s Whitewater controversy and Lewinsky scandal investigations, saying "it's going to be

7500-740: The Paris Agreement . He oversaw the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan that ended the war in Afghanistan , leading to the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban seizing control . He responded to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by imposing sanctions on Russia and authorizing civilian and military aid to Ukraine . During the Israel–Hamas war , Biden condemned

7650-511: The Respect for Marriage Act , which officially repealed DOMA. In September 2014, Murray was one of 69 members of the House and Senate to sign a letter to then- Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell , requesting that the FDA revise its policy banning donation of corneas and other tissues by men who have had sex with another man in the preceding five years. In March 2017, Murray

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7800-532: The U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2009. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania , Biden moved with his family to Delaware in 1953. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware in 1965 and a Juris Doctor from Syracuse University in 1968. He was elected to the New Castle County Council in 1970 and the U.S. Senate in 1972 . As a senator , Biden drafted and led the effort to pass

7950-435: The U.S. invasion of Iraq . As chair of the committee, he assembled a series of witnesses to testify in favor of the authorization. They gave testimony grossly misrepresenting the intent, history, and status of Saddam and his secular government, which was an avowed enemy of al-Qaeda , and touted Iraq's fictional possession of weapons of mass destruction . Biden eventually became a critic of the war and called his vote and role

8100-582: The Veterans' Affairs Committee , the Budget Committee , and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee . Murray garnered national attention in 2013, when she and Republican representative Paul Ryan announced that they had negotiated a two-year, bipartisan budget, known as the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 . Murray is currently the third-most senior senator, the most senior Senate Democrat,

8250-446: The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and the Violence Against Women Act . He also oversaw six U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings, including the contentious hearings for Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas . Biden ran unsuccessfully for the 1988 and 2008 Democratic presidential nominations . In 2008, Obama chose Biden as his running mate, and he was a close counselor to Obama during his two terms as vice president. In

8400-403: The concurrent presidential election . Tester's 12-point and Brown's 5-point edge were not enough to win in their deep-red states, with Florida and Texas's rightward shift clearly putting Democratic Senate hopes away. Casey lost to Republican David McCormick in an electoral upset . Other Democratic swing state candidates won by narrow margins. Republicans ultimately flipped four senate seats from

8550-577: The first presidential debate on June 27. On July 21, he withdrew his candidacy , becoming the first U.S. president to decline to seek reelection after securing enough delegates to win renomination. Biden endorsed Vice President Harris to be the Democratic presidential nominee. Harris lost the presidential election to Trump. Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was born on November 20, 1942, at St. Mary's Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania , to Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Biden ( née  Finnegan ; 1917–2010) and Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. (1915–2002) The oldest child in

8700-504: The war in Iraq . Nethercutt supported the 2003 Invasion of Iraq , while Murray opposed it. Nethercutt was a heavy underdog from the start and his campaign never gained much traction. Murray was reelected, 55% to 43%. The 2010 election was the first Senate election to be held under the new blanket primary since Initiative 872 had passed in 2004. In the August 17 primary, Murray appeared on

8850-542: The 2008 elections . During his campaign, Biden focused on the Iraq War , his record as chairman of major Senate committees, and his foreign-policy experience. Biden was noted for his one-liners during the campaign; in one debate he said of Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani , "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, and a verb and 9/11 ." Biden had difficulty raising funds, struggled to draw people to his rallies, and failed to gain traction against

9000-469: The 2020 elections, Democrats held 47 seats, while Republicans held 53. In order to have gained a majority, Democrats would have needed to win at least 4 seats, or 3 seats and the presidency. If they won the presidency, Democrats would have been able to gain a majority with 48 seats (assuming the two Independents continued to caucus with them) because, in event of a tie vote, the Vice President becomes

9150-437: The 4th district seat on the New Castle County Council in 1970 on a liberal platform that included support for public housing in the suburbs. The seat had been held by Republican Henry R. Folsom, who was running in the 5th District following a reapportionment of council districts. Biden won the general election, defeating Republican Lawrence T. Messick, and took office on January 5, 1971. He served until January 1, 1973, and

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9300-783: The Brandywine in Greenville, Delaware . In 1981, the couple had a daughter, Ashley Biden . She is a social worker and married to physician Howard Krein . Jill helped raise her stepsons, Hunter and Beau, who were seven and eight respectively at the time of her marriage. Hunter has worked as a Washington lobbyist and investment adviser; his business dealings, personal life , and legal troubles have come under significant scrutiny during his father's presidency. Beau became an Army judge-advocate in Iraq and later Delaware attorney general ; he died of brain cancer in 2015. From 1991 to 2008, as an adjunct professor , Biden co-taught

9450-507: The Democratic caucus, winning a 53-47 majority in the chamber. Patty Murray Patricia Lynn Murray ( née   Johns ; born October 11, 1950) is an American politician and president pro tempore of the United States Senate since 2023 and the senior United States Senator from Washington since 1993 . A member of the Democratic Party , Murray served in the Washington State Senate from 1989 to 1993. She

9600-522: The Democratic primary, but won reelection as an independent candidate. Democrats kept their two open seats in Minnesota and Maryland , and Republicans held onto their lone open seat in Tennessee . In Vermont , Bernie Sanders , an independent was elected to the seat left open by retiring Independent Jim Jeffords . For the first time since 1954, neither major party held a majority of seats. However,

9750-403: The Democrats, giving the Democratic caucus a de facto 51–49 majority. Of the seats up for election in 2008, 23 were held by Republicans and 12 by Democrats. The Republicans, who openly conceded early on that they wouldn't be able to recover the majority in 2008, lost eight seats. This election was the second successive cycle in which no seats switched from Democratic to Republican. In addition, this

9900-817: The Democrats. Two-term Senator Jon Tester of Montana chaired the DSCC for this cycle. There were five seats that the Democrats needed to defend this cycle: Michael Bennet of Colorado , Patty Murray of Washington , and the seats of retiring Senators Harry Reid of Nevada , Barbara Boxer of California , and Barbara Mikulski of Maryland . Seven of the Republican seats that were up for reelection were in states that Obama won twice, Mark Kirk of Illinois , Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania , Ron Johnson of Wisconsin , Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire , Chuck Grassley of Iowa , Rob Portman of Ohio and Marco Rubio of Florida who ran for reelection after an unsuccessful presidential bid. In all but one of those seats, Iowa,

10050-777: The GOP leadership, passed 62–36. Murray repeatedly cosponsored legislation to create the Wild Sky Wilderness area in the Washington Cascade Range . She eventually succeeded, with the bill signed by President George W. Bush on May 8, 2008. Murray has also supported legislation to increase the size of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness , also in the Washington Cascades. On January 30, 2008, Murray endorsed Hillary Clinton in

10200-601: The Republican incumbents were fighting to be reelected for the first time. Democrats were also targeting the open seat in Indiana which was vacated by retiring Republican Dan Coats . There were several other states the Democrats were focused on where the Republican incumbents may have been vulnerable: John McCain of Arizona , Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , John Boozman of Arkansas , Richard Burr of North Carolina , Johnny Isakson of Georgia , Roy Blunt of Missouri , Rand Paul of Kentucky who simultaneously ran for president, and Senator David Vitter of Louisiana . After

10350-463: The Republicans were required to attain at least 51 seats in the Senate. The Democrats would have been able to retain a majority with 48 seats (assuming the two Independents continued to caucus with them) because, in event of a tie vote, Vice President Joe Biden becomes the tie-breaker. Many of the incumbents were elected in the Democratic wave year of 2008 along with President Obama's first election. Although Democrats saw some opportunities for pickups,

10500-431: The Republicans would take control of the Senate. The party held all three competitive Republican-held seats ( Kentucky , Kansas , and Georgia ), and defeated incumbent Democrats in North Carolina, Colorado, and Arkansas. Combined with the pick-ups of open seats in Iowa , Montana , South Dakota , and West Virginia , the Republicans made a net gain of 7 seats before the end of the night. In the process of taking control of

10650-411: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee's objections. He received considerable attention when he excoriated Secretary of State George Shultz at a Senate hearing for the Reagan administration's support of South Africa despite its continued policy of apartheid . In a congressional hearing in 1984, he objected to the Strategic Defense Initiative plan to construct autonomous systems of ICBM defense. In

10800-542: The Senate for seven months. Biden was a longtime member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary . He chaired it from 1987 to 1995 and was a ranking minority member from 1981 to 1987 and again from 1995 to 1997. As chair, Biden presided over two highly contentious U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings. When Robert Bork was nominated in 1988, Biden reversed his approval‍—‌given in an interview

10950-511: The Senate to vote against the War Authorization for invading Iraq . Quoted from her Senate speech: Mr. President, if we do take action in Iraq, there is no doubt that our armed forces will prevail. We will win a war with Iraq decisively, and, God willing, we will win it quickly. But what happens after the war? That will have as big an impact on our future peace and security. Will we be obligated to rebuild Iraq? If so, how? Our economy

11100-507: The Senate, but the idea failed to gain traction. Biden formally declared his candidacy for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination on June 9, 1987. He was considered a strong candidate because of his moderate image, his speaking ability, his high profile as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the upcoming Robert Bork Supreme Court nomination hearings, and his appeal to Baby Boomers ; he would have been

11250-472: The Senate, Republicans defeated three incumbent Democrats, a task the party had not accomplished since the 1980 election. Five of the seven confirmed pickups were in states that voted for Mitt Romney in 2012, but two of the seats that Republicans won represent states that voted for Barack Obama in 2012 (Colorado and Iowa). Of the three races that were not called by the end of election night, Alaska and Virginia were still too close to call, while Louisiana held

11400-520: The Senate. If they had won the presidency, the Democrats would have been able to gain a majority with 48 seats (assuming the two Independents continued to caucus with them) because, in event of a tie vote, the Vice President becomes the tie-breaker. Many of the incumbents were elected in the Republican wave year of 2010 midterm. The Democrats needed to gain 4 seats as the Republicans held the majority 54–46, with both independent candidates caucusing with

11550-505: The U.S. Senate after The Seattle Times published a series of articles alleging that incumbent Democratic Senator Brock Adams had sexually assaulted a number of women. Adams denied the allegations, but his popularity weakened considerably and he chose to retire rather than risk losing the seat for his party. Murray defeated Congressman Don Bonker for the Democratic nomination. In the general election she defeated Republican Congressman Rod Chandler , 54% to 46%, despite being outspent by

11700-660: The U.S., citing the funding's helping to improve conditions in those countries. Murray condemned the genocide of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar , and called for a stronger response to the crisis. In December 2010, Murray voted for the ratification of New START , a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the U.S. and the Russian Federation obliging both countries to have no more than 1,550 strategic warheads as well as 700 launchers deployed during

11850-677: The US had such problems winning hearts and minds in the Muslim world, and how bin Laden had garnered support among some in the Middle East. Among other things, she said that bin Laden has "been out in these countries for decades, building schools, building roads, building infrastructure, building daycare facilities, building health care facilities, and the people are extremely grateful. He's made their lives better. We have not done that." This attracted attention from political opponents, who argued that this

12000-808: The United States Senate. Senator Gary Peters , who had won re-election in 2020, chaired the DSCC for the 2021–2022 cycle . Going into the cycle, Democrats had 14 seats up for election while Republicans had 21. In order to maintain their majority in the Senate, Democrats had to defend Catherine Cortez Masto in Nevada, Raphael Warnock in Georgia, Mark Kelly in Arizona, and Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire, all of which represented states that incumbent President Biden had won in 2020. Republicans had also targeted senators in traditionally Democratic states such as Michael Bennet of Colorado and Patty Murray of Washington, while Democrats attempted to pick up open seats in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Ohio. Pennsylvania

12150-541: The VA is not conducting oversight of its own outreach efforts", in spite of suicide prevention being the VA's highest clinical priority, and requesting Wilkie "consult with experts with proven track records of successful public and mental health outreach campaigns, with a particular emphasis on how those individuals measure success". Murray supports gun control. She supports a national assault weapons ban. In May 2006, Murray, along with 38 of 44 Senate Democrats, voted in favor of

12300-687: The actions of Hamas as terrorism, announced military support for Israel and sent humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip . His administration brokered a ceasefire agreement in the Israel–Hezbollah conflict . In April 2023, Biden announced his reelection campaign and, after the Democratic primaries , became the party's presumptive nominee in the 2024 presidential election . Concerns about Biden's age and health persisted throughout his first term, with renewed scrutiny after his performance during

12450-430: The additional protections envisioned by the law", and asserting that service members, along with their families, "deserve the strongest possible protections and swift action to ensure that all forms of credit offered to members of our armed forces are safe and sound". In December 2018, Murray was one of 21 senators to sign a letter to United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie , calling it "appalling that

12600-699: The administration withdraw the policy and "re-engage with stakeholders, states, and Congress". In July 2019, Murray signed a letter to United States Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta that advocated that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiate a full investigation into a complaint filed on May 20 by a group of Chicago-area employees of McDonald's that detailed workplace violence incidents, including interactions with customers such as customers throwing hot coffee and threatening employees with firearms. The senators argued that McDonald's could and must "do more to protect its employees, but employers will not take seriously their obligations to provide

12750-525: The aforementioned class of chemicals, Murray was one of 20 senators to sign a letter to Acting EPA Administrator Andrew R. Wheeler calling on the EPA "to develop enforceable federal drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS, as well as institute immediate actions to protect the public from contamination from additional per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)". On December 10, 2013, Murray announced that she and Republican Representative Paul Ryan had reached

12900-453: The ballot alongside four other Democratic candidates, six Republican candidates, a Reform Party candidate and three independent candidates. She received a plurality, 46%, and advanced to the general election along with her main Republican challenger, former state Senator and two-time gubernatorial nominee Dino Rossi , who received 33%. Leading up to the election, several prominent Washington State newspapers endorsed Murray. Rossi conceded

13050-523: The campaign, as Democrats seized on Nethercutt's broken term-limits pledge that he had made when he unexpectedly unseated Speaker Tom Foley in 1994. Nethercutt was also hampered by his lack of name recognition in the more densely populated western part of the state, home to two-thirds of the state's population. Washington has not elected a senator from east of the Cascades since Miles Poindexter in 1916. Other important issues included national security and

13200-446: The combination of Democratic retirements and numerous Democratic seats up for election in swing states and red states gave Republicans hopes of taking control of the Senate. 7 of the 21 states with Democratic seats up for election in 2014 had voted for Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. Democrats also faced the lower voter turnout that accompanies mid-term elections. By midnight ET, most major networks projected that

13350-479: The commission and had talked about her experience on the day of the demonstration. Murray is married to Rob Murray and has two grown children: Sara and Randy. She lives on Whidbey Island . On August 2, 2006, The New York Times wrote that in 1994, Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina attempted to grope his then-freshman colleague Patty Murray of Washington. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that Murray asked for, and received, an apology. Through

13500-558: The death of Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota , who had been favored to win. Chuck Schumer chaired the DSCC one of two consecutive cycles. Prior to the 2006 election , the Republican Party controlled 55 of 100 Senate seats. The Democratic Party performed well in the 2006 elections. No Congressional or gubernatorial seat held by a Democrat was won by a Republican. Six Republican incumbents were defeated by Democrats: Incumbent Democrat Joe Lieberman (of Connecticut ) lost

13650-428: The debate overall. On November 4, Obama and Biden were elected with 53% of the popular vote and 365 electoral votes to McCain and Palin's 173. At the same time Biden was running for vice president, he was also running for reelection to the Senate, as permitted by Delaware law. On November   4, he was reelected to the Senate, defeating Republican Christine O'Donnell . Having won both races, Biden made

13800-441: The election to Murray on November 4, 2010, two days after election day. She won 52.08% of the vote to Rossi's 47.37%, Murray's smallest reelection margin to date. Murray ran for a fifth term in 2016. She faced three Democratic challengers in the August 2, 2016, primary election. In the general election, she faced King County Councilman Chris Vance . She defeated Vance, 59% to 41%. In the 2022 election, Murray won reelection to

13950-505: The election, Biden trailed Boggs by almost thirty percentage points, but his energy, attractive young family, and ability to connect with voters' emotions worked to his advantage, and he won with 50.5% of the vote. A few weeks after Biden was elected senator, his wife Neilia and one-year-old daughter Naomi were killed in an automobile accident while Christmas shopping in Hockessin, Delaware , on December 18, 1972. Neilia's station wagon

14100-405: The election, Democrats gained two seats. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire joined the caucus. They also successfully defended their only seat in contention, Nevada where Catherine Cortez Masto became the first Latina U.S. Senator. This was the first time since 1992 that the Democrats gained seats in this Senate Class. For the first time the DSCC did not endorse

14250-489: The election, the United States Election Project estimated that 36.6% of eligible voters voted, 4% lower than the 2010 elections, and possibly the lowest turnout rate since the 1942 election. In 2016 , 10 Democratic and 23 Republicans seats were up for reelection. In order to have gained a majority, the Democrats would have needed to attain at least 51 seats or 50 seats (and hold the presidency) in

14400-400: The formulation on previous occasions, but did not on two occasions in late August. Kinnock himself was more forgiving; the two men met in 1988, forming an enduring friendship. Earlier that year, Biden had also used passages from a 1967 speech by Robert F. Kennedy (for which his aides took blame) and a short phrase from John F. Kennedy's inaugural address ; two years earlier he had used

14550-469: The high-profile candidacies of Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton . He never rose above single digits in national polls of the Democratic candidates . In the first contest on January 3, 2008, Biden placed fifth in the Iowa caucuses , garnering slightly less than one percent of the state delegates. He withdrew from the race that evening. Despite its lack of success, Biden's 2008 campaign raised his stature in

14700-518: The longest-serving female senator ever, and the dean of Washington's congressional delegation. One of seven children, Murray was born in Bothell, Washington , a daughter of David L. Johns and Beverly A. McLaughlin. Her mother was an accountant. Her father served in World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart . Her ancestry includes Welsh , Irish , Scottish , and French-Canadian . When she

14850-504: The measure. In December 2018, Murray was one of 42 senators to sign a letter to Trump administration officials Alex Azar , Seema Verma , and Steven Mnuchin , arguing that the administration was improperly using Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act to authorize states to "increase health care costs for millions of consumers, while weakening protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions". The senators requested

15000-609: The mid-1970s, Biden was one of the Senate's strongest opponents of race-integration busing . His Delaware constituents strongly opposed it, and such opposition nationwide later led his party to mostly abandon school integration policies. In his first Senate campaign, Biden had expressed support for busing to remedy de jure segregation , as in the South, but opposed its use to remedy de facto segregation arising from racial patterns of neighborhood residency, as in Delaware; he opposed

15150-616: The mid-1990s his "proudest moment in public life" related to foreign policy. In 1999, during the Kosovo War , Biden supported the 1999 NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia . He and Senator John McCain co-sponsored the McCain-Biden Kosovo Resolution, which called on Clinton to use all necessary force, including ground troops, to confront Milošević over Yugoslav actions toward ethnic Albanians in Kosovo . Biden

15300-589: The next seven years along with providing a continuation of on-site inspections that halted when START I expired the previous year. It was the first arms treaty with Russia in eight years. In December 2018, after United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the Trump administration was suspending its obligations in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 60 days in the event that Russia continued to violate

15450-577: The offensive, Democrats are aiming at single-point senators Ted Cruz in Texas and Rick Scott in Florida; however, Texas has been an unachieved dream for multiple cycles, while Florida has consistently been tilting Republican throughout Scott's tenure. Facing a stronger red tide than in of 2022, all Senate candidates overperformed the losing Democratic candidate Harris in terms of margin, though not necessarily in voter count; Trump swept all noted swing states in

15600-473: The office is usually held by the longest served senior senator of the majority party, but Senator Dianne Feinstein (who was also elected in 1992, but took her seat a few months prior to Murray because she won a special election, rather than a regularly scheduled one) declined the post due to ailing health, leaving Murray the next in line for the position. Murray would ultimately become the most senior serving Democrat upon Feinstein's death later that year. Murray

15750-408: The open seat in Arizona vacated by Jeff Flake , with Rep. Kyrsten Sinema defeated Rep. Martha McSally , as well as the seat in Nevada held by Dean Heller, being defeated by Rep. Jacky Rosen , leaving the Senate's balance at 53–47, with Republicans in control. First-term Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada chaired the DSCC for the 2019-2020 election cycle , the first Latina to do so. Before

15900-534: The open seat in Pennsylvania, electing Democrat John Fetterman over Republican Mehmet Oz to replace Republican Pat Toomey . Upon Catherine Cortez Masto's narrow victory over Adam Laxalt in Nevada, it was projected that Democrats would retain 50 senators and thus maintain control of the U.S. Senate. A runoff election between incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker ultimately ended in Warnock prevailing, leaving Democrats with

16050-423: The partisan balance for the Senate stood at 51–49 in favor of the Democrats, as Independent senators Bernie Sanders and Joe Lieberman caucused with them. Chuck Schumer chaired the DSCC for the second of two consecutive cycles. Heading into the 2008 election , the Senate consisted of 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and two independents ( Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut) who caucused with

16200-473: The political world. In particular, it changed the relationship between Biden and Obama. Although they had served together on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , they had not been close: Biden resented Obama's quick rise to political stardom, while Obama viewed Biden as garrulous and patronizing. Having gotten to know each other during 2007, Obama appreciated Biden's campaign style and appeal to working-class voters, and Biden said he became convinced Obama

16350-399: The press devoted far more coverage to the Republican nominee, Alaska governor Sarah Palin . Under instructions from the campaign, Biden kept his speeches succinct and tried to avoid offhand remarks, such as one he made about Obama's being tested by a foreign power soon after taking office, which had attracted negative attention. Privately, Biden's remarks frustrated Obama. "How many times

16500-468: The previous year‍—‌of a hypothetical Bork nomination. Conservatives were angered, but at the hearings' close Biden was praised for his fairness, humor, and courage. Rejecting the arguments of some Bork opponents, Biden framed his objections to Bork in terms of the conflict between Bork's strong originalism and the view that the U.S. Constitution provides rights to liberty and privacy beyond those explicitly enumerated in its text. Bork's nomination

16650-477: The proposed Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 became a major factor in the campaign, Biden voted for the $ 700   billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 , which passed in the Senate, 74–25. On October 2, he participated in the vice-presidential debate with Palin at Washington University in St. Louis . Post-debate polls found that while Palin exceeded many voters' expectations, Biden had won

16800-476: The requirements of the law, nor will it slow the increase in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, the inexorable rise in sea levels, or the other dire effects of global warming that our planet is already experiencing". In February 2019, in response to reports of the EPA intending to decide against setting drinking water limits for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid ( PFOS ) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as part of an upcoming national strategy to manage

16950-399: The right that candidates will say anything to get their party's nomination". The GOP targeted four red states to pick up the seats they need for a Senate majority. They were looking at states that did not vote for President Obama in 2008: Missouri, Montana, Nebraska and North Dakota. They lost three of those four seats. In 2014 , 21 Democrats were up for election. In order to have a majority,

17100-416: The scandal, Iowa, due to Trump's over performance there, Maine, due to an underestimation of Collins' popularity and continued ticket splitting, and the seats that had unexpectedly appeared competitive maintaining their partisan lean. Democrats initially only flipped the seats in Arizona and Colorado, leaving the balance of power at 52–48. However, Democrats also defeated Donald Trump , meaning there would be

17250-467: The second-youngest person elected president, after John F. Kennedy . He raised more in the first quarter of 1987 than any other candidate. By August his campaign's messaging had become confused due to staff rivalries, and in September, he was accused of plagiarizing a speech by British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock . Biden's speech had similar lines about being the first person in his family to attend university. Biden had credited Kinnock with

17400-484: The strategy behind the choice reflected a desire to fill out the ticket with someone with foreign policy and national security experience. Others pointed out Biden's appeal to middle-class and blue-collar voters. Biden was officially nominated for vice president on August 27 by voice vote at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver . Biden's vice-presidential campaigning gained little media attention, as

17550-421: The structure is unsafe for visitors. Murray argued that the bill should be passed in order to help the tourism industry in the area while protecting the lookout point in question. The bill would be "a very small step in what will be a very long recovery" and would "provide a glimmer of hope for the long-term recovery of this area", she said, referring to the area's recovery from the casualties and damage caused by

17700-507: The swearing-in of Al Franken in July 2009 brought the balance to 60–40. In 2012 , 23 Democratic Senate seats were available, as opposed to 10 Republican seats. An increase of four seats would have given the GOP a Senate majority. In the election, three GOP seats were won and one Democratic seat was lost, increasing the Democratic majority by two. DSCC executive director said their strategy was to "localize" elections – make them "a choice between

17850-427: The tie-breaker. Democrats needed to defend 12 seats this cycle, with only 2 in states Donald Trump won, Alabama and Michigan. In Alabama, Senator Doug Jones had only managed to win due to an extremely flawed candidate in ( Roy Moore ), and was expected to lose due to the strong Republican lean there, which he did. In Michigan, Senator Gary Peters faced a very strong Republican candidate, businessman John James , but

18000-519: The time Biden was seven years old, and for several years the family lived with Biden's maternal grandparents in Scranton. Scranton fell into economic decline during the 1950s and Biden's father could not find steady work. Beginning in 1953 when Biden was ten, the family lived in an apartment in Claymont, Delaware , before moving to a house in nearby Mayfield, Delaware . Biden Sr. later became

18150-424: The treaty, Murray was one of 26 senators to sign a letter expressing concern over the administration "now abandoning generations of bipartisan U.S. leadership around the paired goals of reducing the global role and number of nuclear weapons and ensuring strategic stability with America's nuclear-armed adversaries" and calling on Trump to continue arms negotiations. In October 2002, Murray was one of 21 Democrats in

18300-513: The two people on the ballot [...] and not simply allow it to be a nationalized election". Because this is not easy to do in a presidential election year, the DSCC had gone very much on the offensive, depicting Republican candidates and donors, and especially the Tea Party , as extreme. During the Florida and Indiana primaries, they pushed that the Tea Party was working to move the GOP "so far to

18450-413: Was "dead, flat wrong" in believing the surge could work. Biden instead advocated dividing Iraq into a loose federation of three ethnic states. Rather than continue the existing approach or withdrawing, the plan called for "a third way": federalizing Iraq and giving Kurds , Shiites , and Sunnis "breathing room" in their own regions. In September 2007, a non-binding resolution endorsing the plan passed

18600-419: Was "the real deal". Shortly after Biden withdrew from the presidential race, Obama privately told him he was interested in finding an important place for Biden in his administration. In early August, Obama and Biden met in secret to discuss the possibility, and developed a strong personal rapport. On August 22, 2008, Obama announced that Biden would be his running mate . The New York Times reported that

18750-440: Was Washington's first female U.S. senator and is the first woman in American history to hold the position of president pro tempore. Murray is also the youngest senator to occupy the office of president pro tempore in more than five decades. As president pro tempore, Murray is third in the line of succession to the U.S. presidency . Born and raised in Bothell, Washington , Murray graduated from Washington State University with

18900-610: Was a strong supporter of the War in Afghanistan , saying, "Whatever it takes, we should do it." As head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he said in 2002 that Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was a threat to national security and there was no other option than to "eliminate" that threat. In October 2002, he voted in favor of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq , approving

19050-421: Was a teenager, her family was forced to apply for welfare assistance when her father became disabled due to multiple sclerosis . He had been the manager of a five-and-ten store . Murray attended Saint Brendan Catholic School as a young child. Murray received a Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education from Washington State University in 1972. Murray was a preschool teacher for several years, and taught

19200-474: Was among the 42 Democrats to vote unsuccessfully to include a federal raise of the minimum wage to $ 15 per hour in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 . In 1996, Murray voted for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage by limiting the definition of marriage to the union of a man and a woman. DOMA was ruled unconstitutional in 2015, and later in 2023, she reversed her previous position and spoke in support of

19350-465: Was among the first to call for the " lift and strike " policy. The George H. W. Bush administration and Clinton administration were both reluctant to implement the policy, fearing Balkan entanglement. In April 1993, Biden held a tense three-hour meeting with Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević . Biden worked on several versions of legislative language urging the U.S. toward greater involvement. Biden has called his role in affecting Balkan policy in

19500-582: Was defeated by Kevin Cramer , representative for North Dakota's at-large congressional district, and Nelson was defeated by then Governor Rick Scott . The DSCC considered open seats in Arizona and Tennessee , Dean Heller 's seat in Nevada and potentially Ted Cruz 's seat in Texas and Cindy Hyde-Smith 's seat in Mississippi as possible targets. Of those potentially vulnerable seats, Democrats picked up

19650-675: Was filled with anger and religious doubt. He wrote that he "felt God had played a horrible trick" on him and had trouble focusing on work. Biden met teacher Jill Tracy Jacobs in 1975 on a blind date . They married at the United Nations chapel in New York on June 17, 1977, and spent their honeymoon at Lake Balaton in the Hungarian People's Republic . Biden credits her with the renewal of his interest in politics and life. The couple attends Mass at St. Joseph's on

19800-501: Was first elected in 1970, until Roth was defeated in 2000. As of 2024 , he was the 19th-longest-serving senator in U.S. history. During his early years in the Senate, Biden focused on consumer protection and environmental issues and called for greater government accountability. In a 1974 interview, he described himself as liberal on civil rights and liberties, senior citizens' concerns and healthcare, but conservative on other issues, including abortion and military conscription . Biden

19950-532: Was held in a Catholic church in Skaneateles, New York . They had three children: Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III , Robert Hunter Biden , and Naomi Christina "Amy" Biden. Biden earned a Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law in 1968. In his first year of law school, he failed a course because he plagiarized a law review article for a paper he wrote, but the failing grade was later stricken. His grades were relatively poor, and he graduated 76th in

20100-446: Was hit by a semi-trailer truck as she pulled out from an intersection. Their sons Beau (aged 3) and Hunter (aged 2) were in the car and were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Beau with a broken leg and other wounds and Hunter with a minor skull fracture and other head injuries. Biden considered resigning to care for them, but Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield persuaded him not to. Biden contemplated suicide and

20250-584: Was inaccurate and constituted support for bin Laden. In 2014, Murray introduced legislation in the Senate called The Emergency Contraception Access and Education Act. The bill would require hospitals that receive federal funding to provide rape victims with emergency contraception. In July 2014, she introduced an amendment to a bill in the Senate to require health insurance plans to offer contraceptive coverage to patients regardless of employers' beliefs, religious or otherwise. Her amendment required 60 votes to move forward, and all but three Republicans voted against

20400-490: Was largely blamed for the recession. In 1998, Murray faced Congresswoman Linda Smith , a staunch conservative and maverick who was one of nine House Republicans to vote against confirming U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich in early 1997, opposed gay rights and viewed homosexuality as a "morally unfit inclination". Murray heavily outspent her and was reelected, 58% to 42%. In 2004, Murray faced Republican U.S. Representative George Nethercutt . Term limits became an issue in

20550-417: Was nevertheless expected to win. Republicans, on the other hand, needed to defend 21 seats, along with 2 seats up for special elections. Only 2 seats were in states that Democrats won in 2016, Maine and Colorado. Colorado was seen as the most likely flip for the Democrats, due to incumbent Senator Cory Gardner tying himself heavily to Trump in a state he had lost by 4.5 points in 2016, and expected to lose by

20700-633: Was one of 19 senators to sign a letter to Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Scott Pruitt questioning Pruitt's decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan , asserting that the repeal's proposal used "mathematical sleights of hand to overstate the costs of industry compliance with the 2015 Rule and understate the benefits that will be lost if the 2017 repeal is finalized", and that denying science and fabricating math would fail to "satisfy

20850-496: Was one of 21 senators to sign a letter led by Ed Markey to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that noted that 12% of adult Medicaid beneficiaries had some form of substance abuse disorder, in addition to one third of treatment for opioid and other substance-use disorders in the United States being financed through Medicaid, and opined that the American Health Care Act could "very literally translate into

21000-531: Was one of 38 senators to sign a letter to United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue warning that dairy farmers "have continued to face market instability and are struggling to survive the fourth year of sustained low prices" and urging his department to "strongly encourage these farmers to consider the Dairy Margin Coverage program". In June 2019, Murray and 18 other Democratic senators sent USDA Inspector General (IG) Phyllis K. Fong

21150-409: Was rejected in the committee by a 5–9 vote and then in the full Senate, 42–58. During Clarence Thomas's nomination hearings in 1991, Biden's questions on constitutional issues were often convoluted to the point that Thomas sometimes lost track of them, and Thomas later wrote that Biden's questions were akin to " beanballs ". After the committee hearing closed, the public learned that Anita Hill ,

21300-411: Was seen as the most likely flip for the Democrats, while Nevada was seen as the most likely flip for the Republicans. Democrats had overperformed in the 2022 elections overall, with incumbents Maggie Hassan and Mark Kelly winning by larger margins than anticipated, and Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes losing to Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson by a much smaller margin than expected. Democrats flipped

21450-561: Was seen as the second most likely flip for the Democrats, as it was a key swing state, along with the incumbent Senator Martha McSally losing to Kyrsten Sinema for the other senate seat two years earlier, and a strong challenger, former astronaut Mark Kelly . North Carolina was seen as a highly likely flip, until the Democratic nominee, Cal Cunningham , got involved in a sex scandal that significantly hurt his candidacy. Democrats failed to flip seats in North Carolina, possibly due to

21600-552: Was succeeded by Democrat Francis R. Swift. During his time on the county council, Biden opposed large highway projects, which he argued might disrupt Wilmington neighborhoods. Biden had not openly supported or opposed the Vietnam War until he ran for Senate and opposed Richard Nixon's conduct of the war. While studying at the University of Delaware and Syracuse University, Biden obtained five student draft deferments at

21750-399: Was successful in gathering grassroots support to strike down proposed preschool program budget cuts. In 1988, Murray unseated two-term incumbent Republican state Senator Bill Kiskaddon . Murray has served in the United States Senate since her election in 1992. For the 118th Congress in 2023, she was elected Senate president pro tempore after Patrick Leahy retired from the Senate;

21900-421: Was the seventh-youngest senator in U.S. history . To see his sons, Biden traveled by train between his Delaware home and D.C. —74 minutes each way—and maintained this habit throughout his 36 years in the Senate. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 , Biden was reelected in 1978 , 1984 , 1990 , 1996 , 2002 , and 2008 , regularly receiving about 60% of the vote. He was junior senator to William Roth , who

22050-599: Was the first U.S. senator to endorse Jimmy Carter for president in the 1976 Democratic primary . Carter went on to win the Democratic nomination and defeat incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford in the 1976 election . Biden also worked on arms control . After Congress failed to ratify the SALT II Treaty signed in 1979 by Soviet general secretary Leonid Brezhnev and President Jimmy Carter, Biden met with Soviet foreign minister Andrei Gromyko to communicate American concerns and secured changes that addressed

22200-605: Was the largest Democratic Senate gain since 1986, when they also won eight seats. Democrats defeated five Republican incumbents: Democrats also picked up open seats in Colorado , New Mexico , and Virginia . When the new Senate was first sworn in, the balance was 58–41 in favor of the Democrats, because of the unresolved Senate election in Minnesota. The defection of Republican Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania in April 2009 and

22350-564: Was thought to have no chance of winning. Family members managed and staffed the campaign, which relied on meeting voters face-to-face and hand-distributing position papers, an approach made feasible by Delaware's small size. He received help from the AFL-CIO and Democratic pollster Patrick Caddell . His platform focused on the environment, withdrawal from Vietnam, civil rights, mass transit, equitable taxation, health care and public dissatisfaction with "politics as usual". A few months before

22500-428: Was unpopular among progressives and criticized for resulting in mass incarceration; in 2019, Biden called his role in passing the bill a "big mistake", citing its policy on crack cocaine and saying that the bill "trapped an entire generation". Biden voted for a 1993 provision that deemed homosexuality incompatible with military life, thereby banning gay people from serving in the armed forces. In 1996, he voted for

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